D.c. Metro
Metro Police)
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Not to be confused with United States Capitol Police.
A parked MPDC cruiser.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, DC Metro, and MPDC is the municipal police force for Washington, D.C. It is one of the ten largest police forces within the United States.
History
Upon the establishment of the District of Columbia, the states of Maryland and Virginia appointed constables to patrol the city.
In 1802, the city was given police primacy and appointed a Captain of the Watch and 15 watchmen. The modern-day Metropolitan Police Department was officially formed on August 6, 1861 in accordance with the personal wishes of President Abraham Lincoln, who had taken a personal interest in the establishment of regular police for the nation's capital.
Duties
The department's duties include the provision of police services to the city and its inhabitants and to supplement the various Uniformed Federal Law Enforcement agencies (primarily U.S.Secret Service, U.S.
Capitol Police) in the city, with whom the department exercises concurrent jurisdiction. Additionally, due to its location within an independent federal city, the department must exercise the standard functions of a local police force and also handle certain activities normally considered within the domain of a county police or state police agency such as a sex offender registry.
Leadership
The current Chief of Police is Cathy L.
Lanier, who began her career as a MPDC patrol officer, and is the first female chief of the department. Williams and is now Philadelphia Police commissioner.
Ranks of the MPDC
There are eleven ranks in the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia:
Police districts
First District
Second District
Third District
Fourth District
Fifth District
Sixth District
Seventh District
Demographics
The department maintains 4,050 sworn officers and 600 civilian support staff, making it one of the ten largest police forces within the United States. The department historically has been known for hiring a large number of African American police officers during times when African American police officers were uncommon in other police departments. In 1968, African Americans constituted 25% of the department's force and in 1970 constituted 35% of the department's force the highest percentages of African American police on a large police department at the time.
In 1978, the department became the first police department in a major city in the United States to become majority African American. The department currently has one of the highest percentages of African American officers amongst United States Police Departments, at 66%.